The right well in the country. How to dig a well in a country house

In order to live permanently in a private house or country house, you need a source of water. At the same time, it is desirable that it operates year-round. The simplest and most accessible source of water supply, the use of which has been tested for centuries, is a well. Such a drinking source can be dug manually, using a minimum amount of construction equipment.

Choosing a place for a well

Naturally, it is recommended to locate the well as close to the house as possible. No one is interested in walking on water several hundred meters away. However, it is not recommended to dig wells close to residential buildings. It is necessary to find a middle ground, guided by the following factors:

• you should maintain distance from all potential sources of pollution, be it cesspools, barnyards, garbage dumps;
• It is important to ensure that there is no surface water present in marshy areas that could contaminate the water in the well.

Where does water come from in a well?

Water accumulating on the surface of the earth, gradually cleared of impurities, penetrates downwards until it encounters a water-resistant clay layer on its way. Based on their location, aquifers can be divided into:

• high water at a depth of up to 5 meters;
• soil water at depths of 5-10 meters;
• groundwater at depths of 10-40 meters;
• all water located at deeper levels is usually called artesian.

How much water does a home need?

If you need water solely for watering a small garden plot, then 1-2 cubic meters per day will be quite enough.

How to choose the time to build a well

During the year, the height of groundwater rise can vary by 2 meters. In order not to find yourself without water supply in dry times, the construction of the source must begin during the period of minimum groundwater levels, that is, in winter or late autumn. Digging in winter is a dubious pleasure, so the most acceptable time would be the very end of autumn.

Where does water come from in a well?

After the well is formed, it begins to collect water from the aquifer - a layer of soil that can cover several square kilometers in area. Such an aquifer, sufficient to fill a well, can be located at a depth of 5 to 20 meters. If there is no aquifer at a depth of 20 meters, then further it becomes unprofitable - it’s easier to drill a well.

The procedure for forming wells is not formalized in any standards or government instructions. This is simply the concentrated experience of thousands of years.

Over these many years, the classic structure of a water well has been formed. In order to dig such a well, you need to use a set of tools and equipment.

1. Winch. It will greatly facilitate the rise of water from the well shaft.
2. Tripod, made of durable wooden poles or a metal corner, on which the winch is hung.
3. Materials for strengthening the walls of the well. The most promising modern materials are reinforced concrete rings.
4. As you go deeper into the ground, you will need ladder to get to the surface.
5. Actually, the digging tool: good bayonet and shovel, scrap.

Once you have decided on the location of the future well and prepared the necessary tools and equipment, start digging the well. The work is performed by a team of at least two people.

The first reinforced concrete ring is simply laid out on the ground at the location of the future well. As the hole goes deeper, the miner digs under the walls of the ring, causing it to settle deeper into the ground. As soon as the top edge of the first ring is at ground level, the second ring is placed on it and work continues. Each ring weighs about 500-700 kilograms.

To roll the next ring, the efforts of two people are enough. However, if you have a faucet at your disposal, you should not neglect it. This device will help you accurately and accurately lower the rings onto the seats.

If you are building a well in dry, strong soil, then you need to go to a depth of several meters, and only then, using a truck crane, lay several rings in a row in the shaft.

Soil is selected from under the lower ring.

It goes into the ground until it reaches the aquifer. In one eight-hour work shift, in sandy or light loamy soil, 2-3 reinforced concrete rings can be laid in a well.

As you approach the aquifer, the air temperature in the well pit begins to drop noticeably, and small springs begin to gush from the walls.

We protect wells from surface water

To keep the water in your well clean, it is recommended to protect it from surface waters that have a low degree of purity. Groundwater should enter the well only from below, after passing through all stages of ground purification.

To prevent water from intermediate horizons from entering the well water, the shaft wall must be reliably isolated from the ground. For this purpose, log houses made of water-resistant wood species were previously used. Currently, it is easier and cheaper to use reinforced concrete rings, firmly fixing them to each other.

Reinforced concrete rings can be connected to each other in several ways.

1. The simplest is to twist the rings with steel wire, hooking it onto the shipping eyes. The wire is twisted using a metal rod, such as a crowbar.
2. You can take a drastic approach and, having drilled through the walls of the rings, fix them together with steel brackets mounted on bolts.

Particular attention should be paid to waterproofing the seams between well rings. Water seepage in the seams leads to contamination of the well. When carrying out work, it is necessary to find a “golden mean” - to close the gaps between the rings with a substance whose material will not adversely affect the quality of water in the well.

Strengthening the seams must be carried out according to the following algorithm.

1. Place pieces of linen rope in the space between the well rings. This is a natural eco-friendly material.
2. Cover the gap over the rope with a mixture of cement-sand mortar and liquid glass. This composition will create a reliable waterproofing layer and will be absolutely neutral when in contact with water.
3. Dig a pit about a meter deep on top of the top rings of the well.
4. Waterproof the rings from the outer surface by applying a layer of liquid bitumen mastic.
5. Around the upper rings of the well, you can lay a layer of thermal insulation made of foamed polymer material, for example, polystyrene foam.
6. Backfill the pit around the well with clay. This layer will create a “hydraulic lock”.

It is necessary to go deeper into the aquifer another one and a half to two meters, when fontanelles begin to flow from the walls of the well shaft.

A filter pad is placed at the bottom of the well. It is made from river stones and river quartzite sand.

Prices for concrete rings for a well

concrete rings for well

How to build wells manually

The construction of wells on personal plots is not limited only to the creation of a shaft and strengthening of walls. In order for it to become a full-fledged source of water supply, it is necessary to equip its head - the upper part.

A blind area is built around the contour of the well head - a platform made of tightly compacted crushed stone or concrete. Its dimensions must be at least a meter from the well shaft. The blind area must be erected some time after construction, when the soil settles.

It is also necessary to build a canopy over the well to prevent precipitation from entering the shaft. If you use a pump to lift water, it makes sense to completely close the shaft, leaving a hole in it for the inlet pipe of the surface pump or the cable, hose and cable of the submersible device.

Protecting the well from the cold

If the aquifer is located close to the surface of the earth, during severe winters there is a risk of water in the well freezing.

In this case, it is necessary to build a “house” over the well head. For insulation, you can use almost any material, such as mineral wool or foamed polymer. In this case, the water supply pipe must be inserted into the well below the soil freezing line.

In the above diagram, when creating a water supply system, two wells are used - one to deliver water to an intermediate tank, and the second directly to organize water supply in the house.

Video - How to dig a well by hand

The question of how to dig a well with your own hands will always remain relevant, because this is an excellent opportunity to solve the problem of water supply for areas that are not connected to a central water supply. At first glance, this process may seem too complicated and time-consuming, but if you follow a certain sequence of actions, you can cope with the task on your own.

Wells were built back in those distant times when there was no heavy construction equipment, which means you can build a well on your own site.

The photo shows the digging process

Where to dig a well

Of course, the first thing you need to do is decide on the place where your well will be dug, and in choosing this very place you should take into account the following factors:

• Under no circumstances should construction begin near large sources of pollution, since water that passes through the upper layers of the soil will absorb harmful substances. Such sources of pollution may include compost, manure or garbage heaps, or wastewater disposal sites;

Note! If you plan to dig a well with your own hands on a slope, then it should be located above sources of pollution.

• When thinking about building a well, you should understand that its construction is not always practical. It is necessary to take into account the hydrogeology of the area, for example, in swampy areas it is impossible to use water from wells for drinking, since it contains perched water with various harmful impurities;

• The availability of water at an accessible level directly depends on the terrain in which you plan to dig a well with your own hands, and on the type of soil. For example, on a slope you may not find water at all, or getting to it will only be possible with the help of specialized construction equipment;
• The well should be located as close as possible to the place of water consumption. This arrangement will reduce shipping costs. But you can’t build a well too close either. To provide a house with water from a well, the shaft must be located at least five meters from the building.

Many superstitious people entrust the matter of choosing a place to dig a well to shamans. Previously they used willow twigs, but today they use wire frames to find water. Whether to trust shamans or not, everyone decides for themselves.

If your neighbors already have a well, then you can safely dig and be sure that you will find water. But if your neighbors don’t have a well, then you should drill an exploratory well, which will tell you everything about the presence of water in the ground.

When and how to dig

The question of choosing the time to dig a well with your own hands is as important as choosing a place, so you should pay due attention to this point:

• Spring is the time when the snow melts, so it is undesirable to start the digging process during this period, since you can make a mistake in choosing the depth of the shaft. This error may be made due to the fact that during this period of time the groundwater is located at a very high level. So a well dug in April may be completely dry by December. The groundwater level can fluctuate in the range of 1-2 m;
• The best time for construction is winter, the very end of it, or the very end of summer. It is at this time that the water level is at its minimum. Of course, digging wells with your own hands in the winter is difficult, but there are situations when other times of the year are completely unsuitable for such work, we are talking about well shafts passing through floats;

• The process of digging fairly deep mines takes a huge amount of time, and digging must be done continuously. Therefore, you should plan everything so that you have a lot of free time.

Now let's try to figure out how to properly dig a well with our own hands.

Basically, such construction requires at least three people:

• One man works with a crowbar and a shovel in a mine, filling buckets with soil;
• The second person lifts these buckets to the surface and carries the soil to the dump;
• And the third is resting at this time, preparing to replace one of his comrades.

The photo shows a clear demonstration of the digging process

The work is carried out at a fairly dynamic pace, so workers often replace each other. If there are large stones in the ground, they are turned out using a short crowbar, then tied with ropes and removed from the recess.

Note! If you work in a mine, you should listen to your own health, and if you suddenly feel unwell, you should leave the mine. Your condition indicates an accumulation of harmful gases that need to be pumped out to continue construction.

Related articles:

Well made of reinforced concrete rings

If a place for construction has been chosen, the materials, the price of which is relatively low, have been prepared, the digging process itself should begin. It should be noted that the work ahead is difficult and time-consuming, because the weight of the concrete rings is quite high.

Installing them manually is quite difficult, so perhaps you should use a manual type hoist suspended on a tripod, which you can easily assemble from wooden beams. Of course, purchasing such a mechanism can significantly increase the cost of digging a well manually, but it will reduce the labor intensity of this process.

The technology for digging wells manually consists of the following steps:

• At the initial stage, we dig a recess that would be equal in diameter to the dimensions of the concrete ring. The bottom of the well must be horizontal and as level as possible so that the first ring lies without tilting.

Initial stage - deepening

• Next, we dig a well with our own hands, descending directly into this ring, sending the developed soil to the surface. Under its own weight, as it is dug, the ring will lower. At the moment when the first ring deepens, the next one should be installed on top of it;

The photo shows the installation of the second concrete ring

Advice. If at some point the rings stop lowering under their own weight, then a deviation has occurred. In order to level the structure, it is necessary to install a shield on top of the rings, which is weighted with bags of soil and heavy stones, and leave for a while. Under the weight of the shield, the rings should lower.

• When water starts flowing into the mine, the digging process should not be stopped. The water needs to be pumped out and further digging;

• Digging stops when there is too much water and water-bearing veins are visible;
• The bottom of the well is lined with carefully washed large stones. A layer of washed gravel or crushed stone is poured on top. Such a filter at the bottom of the well will protect the water from sand.

• The seams of the well are treated with a solution of cement and liquid glass so that the perched water does not enter the well.
• After there is enough water in the well to submerge the pump, it should be pumped out. This procedure must be repeated several times.

Construction of a well is an excellent opportunity to solve the water supply problem. If the construction procedure is taken seriously and responsibly, then the whole process will not become backbreaking work. Well, the very fact that the well was built with one’s own hands will certainly warm the soul of a good owner.

The video in this article will allow you to learn even more about the intricacies of the construction process.

Let's try to build a well with our own hands and then a constant source of clean drinking water will appear on your site. How to properly and competently dig and then equip a well? This is what we will talk about now.

If you think that digging wells with your own hands can be done at any time of the year, then you are very mistaken. If you decide to do this in the spring, when the snow melts and the groundwater level is at its highest, then there is a high probability that the water in your well will disappear in the summer. The water will go to the lower layers. Therefore, the best time to build a well shaft is autumn and winter - at this time the aquifer is at its lowest.

Before you start digging a well with your own hands, you need to know about the depth of groundwater in the area, as well as the nature of the rocks separating the aquifer from the surface. If your neighbors also have wells, then the easiest way is to find out this information from them. If no one has a well or you are developing new lands, then to detect the aquifer you will have to drill an exploration well - this is a rather expensive and time-consuming method, but it is the most accurate.

In addition to the depth of the aquifer, for digging a well yourself, the composition of the soil is important. If this sandy soil - great, it will be easiest to dig, clay it is more difficult to give in if in the ground many large stones, then problems may arise, including the abandonment of the entire event.

Which well is better: shaft or tube well?

There are two types of wells – shaft and tubular. Each of these types is good in its own way, however, if we decide to dig a well with our own hands, then it is important for us to know which of these options is easier to build ourselves. Since we have to work only on our own, it is better to choose mine well. It is quite wide and deep, but it will not be difficult to dig it with an ordinary shovel - there will be room to turn around. This structure looks exactly like what most people imagine a traditional well to be.

well and tubular type – that's another matter. Remember the “column” that was once very popular in rural areas - this is a tube well. It is installed where the aquifer is close to the ground, it has a small diameter, and a pump is used to supply water to it.

A tube well is made much faster and easier than a shaft well, but in order to drill a well you need special equipment. But we decided to make do with only our own hands and a shovel, so this option is not suitable for us.

Let's dig a mine well!

Before you build a well with your own hands, you need to understand its design features. So, the components of the well are:

How to dig a well with your own hands?

After this, they continue to dig up the bottom of the mine, gradually exposing rings on top, which will gradually sink lower and lower. This is done until the aquifer opens. The rings are installed end-to-end, and in order to prevent possible movement in different directions, they are additionally secured with metal staples. Digging wells with your own hands is a leisurely task, so at least 4-5 days will pass before you get to the aquifer. The option with gradual settlement of concrete rings is the safest.

You can do it another way: first dig the entire shaft of the well, and then lower it inside the ring. However, in this case, there is a high probability of the soil collapsing on whoever is inside the mine. And this is already fraught with dangerous consequences, so it’s better not to risk it!

Installing a bottom filter

Construction of the above-ground part of the well

It is important to pay close attention to the construction of braces. This is an important structural element, since during operation (on average this happens after 3-4 years), the well roof can move a little. In this case, the self-tapping screws that fasten the braces are unscrewed, and with the help of a level everything is re-aligned. The well must also be equipped with a durable lid with a lock. It will allow you to close the mouth of the well and protect water from dust, dirt, rodents, and also ensure the safety of children and pets. The gate used to lift a bucket of water is made of a log about 1.2 m long and at least 200 mm in diameter. In the absence of logs, you can make a gate from timber with a cross-section of 200x200 mm. To do this, apply a circle of any material (for example, a plate) with a diameter of 200 mm on both sides of the beam, outline it with a pencil and cut off excess corners using a plane. Next, holes about 10-12 cm deep are drilled in the center of each end of the gate in order to then insert the gate axles and handle there. The metal parts of the gate will most likely have to be ordered from a workshop, since they are not sold in stores. It is also worth purchasing 5 washers, two of which are installed on the gate structure, and three on the posts. Place two washers on the handle side of the goal, and a third one on the other side. The washers will prevent the gate from moving and contribute to the long service of the entire well structure.

Now you, having all the necessary knowledge, can easily build a well on your site that will serve faithfully not only you, but also your children, and possibly grandchildren.

Any person associates the words “house outside the city” or “dacha” with clean air, fruits and vegetables from their own garden. Almost everyone imagines themselves lying in a hammock or lounge chair away from the bustle of the city in the shade of trees with a glass of ice-cold well water. Unfortunately, in a village or town it happens that almost the only source of drinking water is a standpipe or the same central water supply. How can we find a way out of this situation? To the question: “How to dig a well and do it correctly?” This article will help answer.

A little theory

When you mention a well, thoughts immediately come to mind about how water appears under layers of soil. It falls into the ground from the sky, that is, in the form of various precipitation: rain, hail and snow. Rain and melt water only partially flows into streams, and then into other bodies of water: rivers, streams and lakes. The main mass seeps into the ground through the porous layers of the earth and, under the influence of a certain gravitational force, falls down to a certain place - the waterproof layer. A barrier to water becomes a layer of upper layers of soil compressed to almost complete impermeability: clay, loam and rock. A water “pocket” is formed in this area; if you dig a well (the Moscow region is an excellent place for this) correctly, water will flow into it.

Although the waterproof layer is considered an insurmountable resistance to water, some of the liquid seeps through it, because it is not a solid monolith. A natural “barrier” has micropores through which water passes to the next layer and so on. Therefore, several aquifers may lie in one area and at different depths. But for those who are interested in the question of how to dig a well with their own hands, this should not be a problem.

Aquifers

Aquifers are divided into several types according to their depth:

• Verkhodka is a layer of water that forms at the very top waterproof layer of the earth. It is located at a shallow depth, and the water that got into it has not yet had time to be properly purified, so it is not suitable for use. The water level of the upper layer fluctuates, and in the heat it can even dry out completely. Summer residents often use it for watering, irrigation and other needs: for this they dig small holes in which perched water accumulates. When the question arises of how to properly dig a well, it is necessary to take into account that the top water must be isolated as much as possible, that is, it must be ensured that it never gets into the well.
• Groundwater is the second layer, lying at a depth that perfectly filters water to the point where it can be consumed. It is groundwater that serves as the basis for filling wells. Water passing through tens of meters of porous soil is perfectly purified from contaminants and at the same time saturated with the minerals it contains. Well liquid is considered the purest, and its unique taste is unique to each area. It may taste different even in two adjacent wells.
• Artesian waters are found at very great depths. Those who know how to dig a well in a dacha understand that in order to get to artesian waters, you need to drill special wells. Deep water is under strong pressure from the soil layers, and therefore liquid can flow through the well on its own, even without the use of pumps.

Types of wells

What is a well? This is a wide shaft that reaches underground water suitable for human consumption, that is, it can be called groundwater in another way. Typically, such reservoirs are no more than 10 meters deep, but there are still old wells that go 20-30 meters into the ground.

There are various types of wells, the most common being mine or key wells. The type of structure directly depends on the depth of the aquifer, therefore, before you dig a well yourself, you need to find out at what specific depth this layer is located in a given area.

For the construction of a key well, the main condition is the presence of water springs on the site, which flow from the ground or fall from the slope. In the area where water is released, a water structure of a descending or ascending type is installed.

It is believed that construction using this method is the fastest, simplest and cheapest method of constructing a well. Its depth does not exceed 2 meters. If we compare the well with concrete rings, their height is completely the same.

The depth of mine wells can reach 15 meters, because they are designed for the extraction of deep-sea deposits. The design of a mine well varies. If the bottom of the reservoir is at the lowest level of the aquifer, then it is called perfect. It turns out that the name of the well depends on how the well is dug, and if its bottom only touches an underwater reservoir of water and the water enters through the walls of the well, then it is called imperfect.

Mine wells also differ in water volumes. Advanced structures are necessary for large-scale water production and consumption. And types such as imperfect wells are used to satisfy small and standard household needs. You can dig such a reservoir in various shapes. It depends on the material from which the walls of the mine will be built. Square wells are formed from brick and wood, and round shafts are formed from concrete rings, respectively. They are more popular and suitable for novice builders who do not know how to dig a well in their country house with their own hands. However, you can learn this by reading this article.

The process of digging a well with your own hands

You can dig a well with your own hands, although it is a rather labor-intensive process. It consists of two stages:

• digging a hole to the required depth;
• lowering concrete rings into it one after another using a car or hand winch.

First, a small pit is dug, about half a meter deep, its diameter equal to the outer width of the concrete ring. A ring is installed in the pit. Next, the digger needs to climb inside and remove the soil in a circle, while simultaneously digging up the walls of the ring. The concrete circle, under the influence of its gravity, will sink lower and lower. As soon as its edge is level with the ground, a second concrete ring must be installed on it, and the digging process must be continued. The second ring is followed by a third and so on. For those who do not know how to dig a well on their own, this algorithm of actions will come in handy.

The standard height of the ring is about a meter, so the construction of a well of such structures will take about 10-15 pieces. To create a more durable unit, it is necessary to fasten all the rings with special staples, which must subsequently be painted with oil paint. Preparing the hole ends with digging the soil in the aquifer, which is the most labor-intensive work. In addition, the digging process is further complicated by the fact that water constantly enters the pit and turns the soil into a liquid mass, which is best pumped out with a mud pump.

Important points when digging a well

The most difficult process is actually digging the earth. This must be done using a shovel with a small handle, and this is not at all easy. Plus, next to the digger there should be a container for soil, in particular a bucket with a rope, since soil must be removed constantly. There should also be a device nearby for constantly rising water.

How to quickly dig a well? This issue must be approached with all seriousness and great responsibility. It is advisable to start constructing a well between January and March, when the groundwater level is quite low.

When the required depth of the well is reached, it is necessary to equip a filter pad made of fine crushed stone with a height of about 30 cm. This device prevents rapid flooding of the well.

It is important to remember that digging a well is a very dirty job. It is necessary to stand knee-deep in damp and cold earth, when pieces of earth and water from a constantly raised bucket fall on top of you. You need to measure your strength and remember about your health. For some, it’s easier to immediately hire a team of builders and specialists.

When digging a well, it is important to follow basic safety standards, here are some of them:

• It is advisable to carry out all work wearing a protective helmet;
• Before going down into the well, it is necessary to check the strength of the rope ladder, as well as all fastenings and devices for lifting water and soil from the bottom of the well.

The final stage of constructing a well

Upon completion of all work, it is necessary to decorate the upper part of the well. Usually the head is covered with wooden boards or logs; this is done to protect the water from contamination. A well can be made an attractive decorative element in a summer cottage, which can only transform it. For example, you can build a house or a mill over it.

Required tools and materials

Having decided how to dig a well, you need to stock up on the necessary tools and devices, here are the main ones:

• standard and sapper shovels;
• buckets;
• lifting device and tripod;
• chain and rope ladder;
• a special wooden device in the form of a shelf made of boards and logs for delivering concrete rings.

What is quicksand

Quicksand is a mixture of sand with clay and small river pebbles. It can spread and float, especially under mechanical influence, like ordinary water.

The biggest problem caused by quicksand is for well diggers. Therefore, before starting work, you need to find out how to dig a well in quicksand, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to build a good structure in this place.

A well on a quicksand can supply water for a while, but it must be cleaned frequently. When deepening and cleaning such a well, distortion of the concrete rings may occur, since the surrounding sandy soil is buoyant and mobile.

The water on quicksand is subject to seasonal fluctuations, that is, in summer its level may drop, and in winter it may even freeze, or it may disappear completely, so it is not advisable to deepen the well.

Sewage wells

These wells are important elements of external sewerage. Therefore, such a problem as digging a sewer well is quite simple to solve. You can do this yourself, without resorting to the help of specialists, whose services are quite expensive.

There are the following types of sewer wells:

• Inspection wells, which serve to view and monitor the operation of the entire sewer network and clear blockages. They are constructed only with a significant pipeline length.
• Rotary wells are installed at pipeline turning points and can also serve as inspection wells.
• Drop structures are installed in places where pipes drop due to the complex terrain of the soil.
• Nodal. The construction of such water units is not possible everywhere. How to understand that a well is dug in the right place? This is quite simple - they are built at the distribution points of node systems.
• Storage and filtration wells used for wastewater. They are designed for cleaning and accumulation. They are installed at the end of the pipeline system in places where there will be convenient access for a sewer truck.

The material for sewer wells can be concrete or reinforced concrete, brick and rubble stone, plastic or wood. The work process is no different from digging a storage facility for drinking water, so it is better to figure out in advance the question of how to dig a well.

Signs that the water source is close to the surface

Before determining the location of the well, you can use some signs to understand that the water reservoir is at a shallow depth, here are some signs:

• in the spring, especially during the period of snow melting, basements are flooded with water;
• very often thick fog forms in this area;
• not far from the dacha there are bodies of water: rivers or lakes;
• the surface of the earth may be covered with moss;
• In dry, hot summers, thick grass grows near the water.

During the operation of a well, its maintenance is of great importance, because it must be constantly kept clean, since various debris can get inside, and this will lead to a deterioration in the quality of well water.

To prevent pets from accessing the well, a protective structure can be built around it. If for some reason an animal gets into the well, you need to pump out the water and clean it of foreign objects. After this, disinfection must be done. You can use a three percent chlorine solution, which is added to water and applied to the walls of the well. After these procedures, the well is closed and left for a day. Then the walls are thoroughly washed and the water is pumped out again until the smell of bleach completely disappears.

The steps described above will tell you how to dig a well with your own hands, keep it in excellent condition, and also provide everyone with tasty well drinking water.

Even if the house is equipped with a centralized water supply, a well will not be superfluous, since watering flower beds or a vegetable garden with tap water is quite expensive, and even in the event of a power outage it will be a good help. At the dacha, it is generally the only source of water. Digging wells is not an easy task, but it is doable. Even if you decide to involve a special team in this matter, you will still have to control them. You need to know how to dig a well with your own hands in a suburban area.

The most reliable way is to apply for a hydrogeological study. They will tell you the exact place where it is best to dig a well from concrete rings, plus an analysis of the water that will be in the future well. But this service is not cheap and can only pay for itself if the water in the well is used as drinking water, that is, near a house with people permanently living in it. At a summer cottage, its necessity is intended mainly for technical needs, but for drinking water it can only be cleaned if it goes into the house.

If you are going to do without research, then you need to focus on some signs:

• be guided by the position of the wells in the neighborhood - rock layers usually lie unevenly, and the situation is also the same with aquifers. If the water in the neighboring well is at a depth of 6 meters, this does not mean that the water in yours will be at the same level. It may turn out to be either higher or lower, or even go somewhere sharply to the side. So this is only an approximate “outline” of the project where well water may be located;
• observing the behavior of animals and insects. The most accurate guide can be small midges. During the warm period, when there is no wind, inspect the area in the evening before sunset. If there are places on it where midges “hang” in pillars, this indicates that aquifers are located quite close in this place. To make sure of this, observe the marked area in the morning. If fog swirls over it in the morning, then the water is indeed quite close;
• folk way. We take pottery. Unglazed is best. You can also use a regular pan, as long as it is wide. Oven-dried silica gel is poured into the selected container. If you don’t have it and you don’t know where you can get it, then you need to take ceramic bricks, break them until only small crumbs remain, and dry them in the oven for several hours. Then you need to pour it into the container to the top and tie it with a dry cotton cloth. Only in such a way that it doesn’t come undone. Weigh and record the resulting value. Then, at the site of the proposed well, dig a hole 1-1.5 meters deep, after which you need to place a vessel in the dug layer and cover it with earth. Wait a day. Then dig it up and weigh it again. The more the mass has changed, the greater the concentration of water in this place;
• analyze the grass growing on the site - this method is well applicable only when the site has not yet been plowed. When inspecting vegetation, try to identify the most overgrown islands. You don’t need to pay special attention to single plants, since they can be brought here randomly; this method requires clearings and islands of vegetation.

These methods are only an approximate determination of the location of aquifer deposits where it is possible to dig wells from concrete rings. None of them gives a 100% guarantee, but if several methods are used, you can determine a more or less exact location and it is worth trying to dig a well in this exact place.

It is most favorable to dig a well twice a year: either in the second half of August, or in the middle of winter - after two weeks of frost. During these two periods, the lowest level of groundwater and high water practically does not occur. This will greatly facilitate the work; in addition, it will be much easier to determine the flow rate - during these periods it is at a minimum and in the future you will not experience a shortage of water.

If you decide to dig a well or dig a well yourself, you may not have enough time in August, since this is the “border zone” before the rainy season. In this case, you need to start work early. Maybe even at the beginning of the month. In general, you need to calculate the time of work in such a way that reaching the aquifer occurs during the most “waterless” period. Ideally, it is also advisable to deal with the waterproofing of the walls.

Two ways to dig a well from concrete rings

The most popular is the well design made of concrete rings. Its popularity is due to its simplicity. But at the same time, it has quite serious disadvantages: its joints with concrete rings are characterized by rather weak tightness and through them rain and melt water can enter the well, and together with them, both what is dissolved in it and what has drowned.

You can try to seal the joints of the rings, but the most effective methods cannot be used: the water must be suitable for at least irrigation. And sealing joints with a solution is quite ineffective and short-lived. Over time, the cracks widen and not only melt or rain water can enter through them, but also insects, worms, animals, and so on.

There are special rings with a lock. Rubber gaskets can be installed between them to ensure a tight seal. Rings with locks are on sale. Although their price is much higher, it is almost impossible to find gaskets for them, as well as wells equipped with them.

How to properly dig a well at your dacha with your own hands? There are two methods for digging a well from concrete rings: installing the rings one at a time and installing them after the aquifer has been reached. Both methods are used, just at different depths and both have their drawbacks.

Alternate installation of rings. In this case, the first ring is installed on the ground, which is slowly removed from the inside and under the side. The ring gradually lowers. A very important point: you need to be very careful to ensure that it falls straight down, without distortions. Otherwise, the shaft will become inclined and, over time, the settlement of the rings will stop. To avoid distortion, you need to ensure that the walls are vertical. To do this, you just need to tie a plumb line to the block, after which the block is placed on the ring. For additional control, use a building level.

As soon as the upper edge of the ring is level with the ground level, install the following. It is installed strictly from above. Work continues. If on the first ring the soil can be thrown over the side using a shovel with a short handle, then on the next ring the soil will have to be removed using a gate or a block and a tripod. Based on this, we can conclude that the work must be carried out by at least two people, and in order to move the rings, at least 3-4 people will be required. Thus, independent digging (one person) is impossible. Unless for this task you will need to adapt a winch.

Using this method, the depth of the well is gradually increased. As soon as the ring reaches the same level with the ground, a new one is installed on it. To descend, use driven brackets or ladders (the safest and most correct way is to use brackets).

The advantages of this method of digging a well:

1. It is possible to control how evenly and how tightly the ring fits.
2. It is possible to install rubber gaskets to ensure tightness or to place them on the solution.
3. The walls do not crumble.

These were the advantages. Let's talk about the shortcomings. Working inside the ring is quite inconvenient and physically difficult. This method is used, as a rule, for shallow depths - 7-8 meters. Work in the mine must be done in turns.

One more point: when digging a well with rings, you can use a knife to speed up the subsidence process and facilitate the passage of soil. It is made of concrete and is poured into the ground at the very beginning. In order to make it in a circle, a groove is dug, which has a triangular shape in cross-section (see picture). Its inner diameter should match the inner diameter of the rings that will be used in the process, the outer one is slightly larger. After the concrete has hardened, a standard ring is installed on this ring and work begins.

Knife structure

Installation of rings after reaching the aquifer. First you need to dig a shaft without rings. In this case, you need to watch the walls. As soon as the first signs of shedding begin to appear, rings are immediately installed inside and they continue to work according to the first method. Using a crane or manipulator, rings are placed into the shaft. Then they deepen it by several more rings using the first method, increasing the flow rate.

The soil is removed from the mine in the same way: while the depth is not very great, it is simply thrown out with a shovel. After that, a tripod and a gate are installed and lifted using buckets. As soon as the rings are installed, the gap between them and the walls of the shaft is filled and compacted. Several upper rings can be sealed from the outside (for this you can use bitumen impregnation or other coating waterproofing).

The advantages of this method:

1. The mine is wider, which means that it is much more convenient to carry out work in it, which makes it possible to dig deeper wells.
2. You can seal several of the top rings, which will reduce the chance of contaminated water entering the well.

There are significantly more disadvantages:

1. It is difficult to control the tightness of the joint of the rings: being in the shaft during installation is strictly prohibited. It is impossible to rotate the ring already installed in the shaft due to its large mass.
2. You can gape and the mine will crumble.
3. The filling density of the gap between the shaft walls and the rings is less than the “native” soil. Because of this, it becomes possible for melt and rainwater to seep deep, where through the cracks they can enter directly into the well. To prevent this, a protective circle is made around the well from a waterproof material (waterproofing membrane) with a slope away from the walls of the well.

During work, you need to monitor the verticality of the walls, but it can be corrected to a certain extent. The control method is the same - a beam with a plumb line attached to it and lowered into the shaft.

How do you know when to stop digging?

According to the technology, soil is removed inside and below the ring. Because of this, it settles under its own weight. The soil that is removed will serve as a guide. Usually the water is between two waterproof layers. This is often clay or limestone.

The aquifer is usually sand. It can be small, like sea water, or large with interspersed small pebbles. Most often there are several such layers. As soon as the sand begins to flow, it means that we should expect water soon. As soon as it appears at the bottom, you need to dig for some more time, removing the already wet soil.

If there is a strong influx of water, you can stop. The aquifer is not very large, since there is a chance to go through it. In this case, you will have to dig until the next one. The deeper, the cleaner the water will be, but how much deeper, no one can say for sure.

After this, the well is pumped - a submersible pump is installed and the water is pumped out. Thus, it is cleaned, deepening it a little, and in addition its flow rate is determined. If you are happy with the speed at which the water is rising, you can stop there. If not, you need to quickly go through this layer. The soil continues to be washed out with a running pump until this layer is passed. Then they dig to the next aquifer.

If you are satisfied with the incoming water and its quality, you can build a bottom filter. It consists of three layers of stones of different fractions, which are laid on the bottom. This is necessary to ensure that as little silt and sand enters the water as possible. For this filter to work, you need to place the stones correctly:

1. The largest stones are placed at the very bottom. These are quite large cobblestones. But in order not to greatly reduce the height of the water column, it is better to use the flattest stones. They need to be laid out in two layers, and they do not need to be laid closely, but with small gaps.
2. The middle fraction is poured in a layer of 10-20 cm. Their dimensions should be such that pebbles or stones do not fall into the gaps of the lower layer.
3. The topmost shallowest layer. Pebbles and small stones in a layer of 10-15 cm. They are necessary for the settling of sand.

With such a mound of fractions, the water will be cleaner: first, the largest inclusions settle on large stones, and as you move upward, smaller ones become smaller.

Compliance with safety precautions during work

Digging a well, whether with your own hands or with a team, is quite dangerous and hard work, especially after the first three rings have been dug. Buckets need to be pulled out using a winch, winch or pulley, and they are quite heavy. There is a risk that the rope may break or the handle may not hold. Because of this, you must follow the safety rules:

1. Anyone working below must wear a helmet.
2. The buckets should have a fairly strong handle; for insurance, it is better to weld it, making it from thick wire in several layers.
3. Buckets must be tied to a strong rope, at the end of which a powerful carabiner must be attached with a reliable fixation.
4. From time to time check the condition of the bucket handle, rope and carabiner.
5. When lifting buckets, the person working below should be on the opposite side.
6. Work downstairs one by one.

Precautions are not unnecessary. Better to play it safe.

After the earthworks, installation of the pump and pumping, which lasts at least 2 weeks, are completed, finishing work can begin, namely the decorative design of the head. Many people leave the top concrete ring unchanged. In order to decorate the upper part, you can use brick, natural stone or ceramic tiles. Folk craftsmen build small wooden log houses, install “cranes” as decorative elements, and construct carved canopies.

Based on the article, in order to build a well yourself, you will first need to make sure of the aquifers, choose the right location, decide on the design and follow safety precautions. The rest all depends on your free time and your skills.